Chapter 377: Where the Sun Can’t Reach (Part 2)

He turned around and walked slowly toward the imperial steps, each step making the hearts of the kneeling ministers race.

As he stepped onto the final step and turned to face the ministers, Mr. Wei also slowly rose and bowed in salute.

“All rise!”

The King of Xu State, no, he should be called the new emperor now.

The resonant voice of the new Emperor Jing echoed within Jinluan Hall—

“To prevent any unrest, from this day onwards, the dynasty’s title will not change and will continue to use ‘Jing’. The funeral of the late emperor will be handled by the Ministry of Rites, and the enthronement ceremony will be held in three days.”

His gaze swept over the vassal kings pinned to the ground, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly: “As for my royal brothers… please return to your respective residences for the time being, and you may not step beyond them without my command.”

The Imperial Army escorted the vassal kings out of the hall, and the imperial consort slumped into her chair, ashen-faced.

The new Emperor Jing approached her with a wicked smile, leaned down, and whispered, “Don’t worry, Your Highness, I will surely ‘treat you well’.” He heavily stressed the words “treat well.”

Mr. Wei coughed lightly: “Your Majesty, state affairs are pressing. This old minister suggests convening a cabinet meeting immediately.”

The new Emperor Jing nodded, turned, and walked toward the dragon throne, symbolizing supreme power.

At the moment he sat down, a sudden thunderclap sounded outside the hall, and torrential rain fell.

In the rainstorm, no one noticed the gleam in Mr. Wei’s eyes. The old fox’s lips curled slightly, then quickly returned to normal.

It turned out that since the previous Emperor Jing ascended to the throne, the other princes involved in the struggle for succession, seeing that the cause was lost and having been granted vassal titles, resigned themselves to a peaceful life in their allotted lands.

And although Emperor Jing was suspicious, with many Hidden Guards under him, Mr. Wei, the old rascal, moved around discreetly.

At least, the commander of the Imperial Army and the ministers of various departments, who appeared to be close confidants personally cultivated by Emperor Jing, had significant secret ties with Mr. Wei.

Combined with his status as an elder statesman and the leader of his noble family, these hidden ties and promises made over the years were finally at his disposal today.

Throughout all dynasties, there were very few civil and military officials who did not secretly collude and manipulate relationships.

Even though Emperor Jing’s spies were everywhere in the Capital City, there were always places the sunlight couldn’t reach.

And that place is—people’s hearts!

On the eighth day of July, the new Emperor Jing held the enthronement ceremony at the Imperial Palace in the Capital City.

In merely half a month, the landscape of the Capital City had drastically changed, and the situation had shifted dramatically.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Canzhou, a similar earth-shattering transformation was occurring.

In the outskirts of Qingshui County, potato stems spread across the barren land project like an ocean, with fiery red chili peppers adorning it like dancing flames.

Luo Hai, the newly appointed Zhizhou of Canzhou, was leading a small number of remaining refugees in harvesting crops. These meticulously tended crops had reached their peak of harvest.

In the distant fields, sweet potato vines were brewing sweetness underground, while plump bean pods gently swayed in the breeze. In a few days, these two crops would also be ready for harvest.

At this moment, Zhao Zun and Han Lei were leading a large procession of refugees through Fufeng County.

Out of the county town, amidst flying dust, the ragged refugees widened their eyes in amazement at the wide and even cement road stretching across the wilderness.

The bluish-gray cement roadway shone coldly under the sunlight, extending straight into the distance.

After traveling over ten miles along the wide cement road, the sound of amazed gasps from the inexperienced refugees echoed through the procession.

“Oh my! How… how can this be? Is this still the Da Jing Dynasty?”

“What is planted over there? Why is it so tall?”

“Look over there!” a slender young boy tugged at the sleeve of the old man beside him, pointing to a construction site in the distance.

Between the towering scaffolds, laborers were topping off the last few factory buildings, with brand new colored steel tiles glistening under the sun.

Hearing the exclamations from outside, Zhao Zun and Han Lei lifted the carriage curtain and looked out with satisfaction.

Just a few months ago, this was a wasteland. Now, poultry farms and pig farms had taken shape.

Further away, fields of corn looked like a green ocean.

Stalks taller than a person rustled in the summer breeze, with heavy ears of corn drooping heavily.

The fruits of months of labor were about to manifest, bringing a comforting smile to Zhao Zun’s face.

Suddenly, he looked into the distance and exclaimed, furrowing his brow.

“Quick, give me the binoculars.” He turned to Han Lei, urgency in his voice.

Although puzzled, Han Lei retrieved the binoculars from her pack and handed them to him. Zhao Zun, taking the binoculars, suddenly paused while adjusting the focus.